OAN Staff Blake Wolf
2:55 PM – Wednesday, July 16, 2025
On Wednesday morning, Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted NYC Democrat mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for a “Communication and Organization Skillshare Breakfast” in Washington, D.C., to bolster support for his campaign.
Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed Mamdani for Mayor of New York City during the NYC Democrat primary — as the two political figures reportedly align on his proposed socialist policies.
Mamdani has since vowed to introduce rent freezes for all rent-stabilized units in the city, taxpayer-funded bus rides, taxpayer-funded childcare, and city-owned grocery stores.
Meanwhile, Mamdani has since been heavily criticized for his proposed policies after announcing that he plans to raise the corporate tax rate to pay for his agenda.
Ocasio-Cortez emphasized to the press that she was excited to finally meet Mamdani “face to face,” while “hear[ing] what he has to say about making New York affordable for working people.”
“I think a lot of people just need to get to know folks before they issue an endorsement. I hope that this conversation can be constructive to bring the party together and rally behind our nominee,” Ocasio-Cortez stated prior to the event
Mamdani is also expected to meet with Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — both of whom have not yet issued public endorsements of Mamdani.
“I’m excited to go to Washington, D.C., to speak with Congressman Jeffries, to speak with Senator Schumer, to speak with leaders of our party across the country,” Mamdani stated on Tuesday.
However, despite Mamdani’s enthusiasm, both Schumer and Jeffries have revealed that they do not have plans to meet with the NYC Democrat mayoral nominee in D.C.
“I’m scheduled to meet with the Democratic nominee at the end of the week back home in Brooklyn,” Jeffries told reporters on Monday.
Several House Democrats have rushed to support Mamdani ahead of the November general election.
“Zohran Mamdani is an incredible talent. He’s going to be a great mayor for New York City. I was proud to endorse him before the primary,” stated Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).
“Anybody that’s staying out at this point instead of endorsing this incredible dynamic leader is missing an opportunity,” she added.
Additionally, President Donald Trump has explicitly labeled Mamdani a “Communist.”
“I don’t think our country is ready for a Communist, but we’re going to see. And I don’t think that race is over yet either,” Trump continued, adding that he believes former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should stay in the race despite the initial loss in the NYC Democratic mayoral primary.
“He’s running against a Communist. I would think that he would have a good shot of winning,” Trump added.
Mamdani utilized Trump’s “endorsement” of Cuomo in order to score political points against his political opponent.
“We would like to congratulate Andrew Cuomo on earning Donald Trump’s endorsement. Obviously, this triumph speaks for itself. The question now is whether Cuomo will embrace Trump’s support publicly or continue to just accept it in private,” stated Jeffrey Lerner, a Mamdani campaign spokesperson.
Mamdani is also running against Independent incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
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